Community garden growing roots at Port Perry Fairgrounds

Lynne Chase leads effort to grow vegetables, flowers

Care and Share garden grows veggies for Operation Scugog

Celia Klemenz / Metroland

PORT PERRY -- Nicky Jones, left, and Vivian Foster, a support worker for Community Living Durham North, harvested beans on Aug. 26, at the Care and Share garden in the Port Perry Fairgrounds. Produce from the garden is donated to the Operation Scugog food bank to provide fresh produce each week throughout the growing season. August 26, 2014

PORT PERRY -- A community garden sprouting up in the corner of the Port Perry Fairgrounds has turned into a learning resource for some and an appreciated food source for others.

Tucked away on the western edge of the fairgrounds, along Old Simcoe Road, a series of garden beds have grown a variety of vegetables and flowers over the summer season under the watchful eye of Lynne Chase, a community volunteer and employee with the Durham District School Board.

The program’s roots stretch back to last fall when Ms. Chase secured a parcel of the fairgrounds land from the Port Perry Agricultural Society. From there, she began sourcing materials -- unused hockey rink boards and old logs -- to create the garden beds and used renewable resources such as leaves, straw and hay from around the fairgrounds to build a base.

Canadian Tire chipped in by donating soil to the project, which quickly turned into spiral-shaped gardens surrounded by pathways.

We used a lot of small, low-cost solutions. Lynne Chase

“We used a lot of small, low-cost solutions,” said Ms. Chase.

Once the summer season arrived, and with a small army of volunteers from Community Living Durham North on hand to help out, the garden started to take shape as flowers -- from sweet peas to asters and sunflowers -- and vegetables, including tomatoes, zucchini and cucumbers, began to sprout.

For about an hour each Tuesday and Thursday afternoon, a dozen or so volunteers from Community Living helped water and then harvest the produce, which turned into an 80-pound donation of fresh vegetables to the Operation Scugog food bank at the end of the season.

Seniors taking a stroll past the garden, as well as students from both R.H. Cornish and S.A. Cawker public schools, also lent a hand.

“Everyone just pitched in and helped out,” said Ms. Chase.

Now, with the first season declared a success, Ms. Chase is looking to expand her Care and Share Community Permaculture Garden in 2015.

During a recent appearance before Scugog councillors, she asked the Township to help her secure a permanent spot for the garden on the fairgrounds, including enough space for a shed to be placed to hold all the necessary garden tools.

She also sought liability protection, a few loads of tree mulch and asked if Scugog could somehow work a gardening day camp into its children’s camps, which are run across the street at the Scugog Community Centre.

In response, Scugog’s councillors seemed warm to her requests and told Ms. Chase not to worry about her biggest fear: That the Township would soon sell the Port Perry Fairgrounds for residential development.

“We’re not getting rid of the fairgrounds,” said Ward 2 Councillor John Hancock. “That’s been taken off the table, entirely.”

To follow the progress of the community garden, visit http://caresharegarden.blogspot.ca/.

Chris Hall is a reporter covering Scugog Township for Metroland Media Group’s Durham Region Division. He can be reached at
CHall@durhamregion.com
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